Cultivated Corruption

Less than 100 days into its term, the newly-minted Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has found itself embroiled in one embarrassing controversy after another. As if the Beed sarpanch murder case and the Badlapur police encounter were not enough, the tripartite coalition now has to deal with admissions of corruption from one of its own ministers. Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate’s candid, some would even say casual, confession that 3-4 percent corruption is endemic to government schemes have raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. His remarks, ostensibly made to defend the beleaguered Re 1 crop insurance program, have cast a shadow over the Mahayuti administration’s claims of probity and efficiency.

Kokate’s frankness may have been disarming, but his admission was damning. The minister’s acknowledgment of systemic graft in a flagship welfare scheme raises uncomfortable questions about governance in Maharashtra. Worse still, the program, which promises insurance for farmers at a symbolic premium of one rupee, is now revealed to be riddled with bogus applications—over 400,000 of the 16.8 million filed—some even falsely registering mosques, temples and vacant plots as agricultural lands. While Kokate assured the public that no funds had yet been disbursed to fraudulent claimants, his revelations hint at a bogus industry flourishing right under the nose of a government that has just been given a massive mandate in the 2024 Assembly polls.

The Re 1 crop insurance scheme was meant to be a lifeline for Maharashtra’s beleaguered farmers, offering protection against the vagaries of nature. Instead, it has become a case study in administrative laxity. The agriculture commissioner’s investigation revealed that unscrupulous actors, including operators of Common Services Centres (CSCs), exploited the system, motivated by a Rs. 40 commission per application. While action has been initiated against 96 CSCs, the scale of malpractice suggests a deeper rot in the machinery.

Kokate’s remarks, that corruption is inevitable and merely needs managing, betray a worrying resignation among Maharashtra’s leaders. Such cynicism undermines public faith in governance and diminishes the aspirations of an electorate that handed the Mahayuti coalition a resounding mandate in the 2024 Assembly polls. Winning elections is one thing; delivering clean and effective governance is another.

The minister’s promise of using technology to remedy the problems in the scheme is far from reassuring. India has no shortage of grand technological fixes—what it lacks is the political will to enforce accountability. That Kokate’s revelations came so early in the administration’s term is both a curse and a blessing. On one hand, it tarnishes the honeymoon period of the Mahayuti government. On the other, it offers a timely opportunity to demonstrate resolve and competence.

As Fadnavis grapples with this scandal, he would do well to remember that the electorate forgives many things, but not betrayal of trust. Maharashtra’s farmers, the backbone of its economy, deserve better than to be pawns in a political game where accountability is shrugged off as an inconvenience.